Tree-Dwelling Ants: Contrasting Two Brazilian Cerrado Plant Species without Extrafloral Nectaries
Ants dominate vegetation stratum, exploiting resources like extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) and insect honeydew. These interactions are frequent in Brazilian cerrado and are well known, but few studies compare ant fauna and explored resources between plant species. We surveyed two cerrado plants withou...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/172739 |
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| author | Jonas Maravalhas Jacques H. C. Delabie Rafael G. Macedo Helena C. Morais |
| author_facet | Jonas Maravalhas Jacques H. C. Delabie Rafael G. Macedo Helena C. Morais |
| author_sort | Jonas Maravalhas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ants dominate vegetation stratum, exploiting resources like extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) and insect honeydew. These interactions are frequent in Brazilian cerrado and are well known, but few studies compare ant fauna and explored resources between plant species. We surveyed two cerrado plants without EFNs, Roupala montana (found on preserved environments of our study area) and Solanum lycocarpum (disturbed ones). Ants were collected and identified, and resources on each plant noted. Ant frequency and richness were higher on R. montana (67%; 35 spp) than S. lycocarpum (52%; 26), the occurrence of the common ant species varied between them, and similarity was low. Resources were explored mainly by Camponotus crassus and consisted of scale insects, aphids, and floral nectaries on R. montana and two treehopper species on S. lycocarpum. Ants have a high diversity on cerrado plants, exploring liquid and prey-based resources that vary in time and space and affect their presence on plants. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9ccd62a3218b4f76ae4ba69fef3eec0a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0033-2615 1687-7438 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| spelling | doaj-art-9ccd62a3218b4f76ae4ba69fef3eec0a2025-02-03T01:31:00ZengWileyPsyche: A Journal of Entomology0033-26151687-74382012-01-01201210.1155/2012/172739172739Tree-Dwelling Ants: Contrasting Two Brazilian Cerrado Plant Species without Extrafloral NectariesJonas Maravalhas0Jacques H. C. Delabie1Rafael G. Macedo2Helena C. Morais3Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900 Brasília, DF, BrazilLaboratório de Mirmecologia, Convênio UESC/CEPLAC, Centro de Pesquisa do Cacau, CEPLAC, Cx. P. 07, 45600-000 Itabuna, BA, BrazilDepartamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900 Brasília, DF, BrazilDepartamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900 Brasília, DF, BrazilAnts dominate vegetation stratum, exploiting resources like extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) and insect honeydew. These interactions are frequent in Brazilian cerrado and are well known, but few studies compare ant fauna and explored resources between plant species. We surveyed two cerrado plants without EFNs, Roupala montana (found on preserved environments of our study area) and Solanum lycocarpum (disturbed ones). Ants were collected and identified, and resources on each plant noted. Ant frequency and richness were higher on R. montana (67%; 35 spp) than S. lycocarpum (52%; 26), the occurrence of the common ant species varied between them, and similarity was low. Resources were explored mainly by Camponotus crassus and consisted of scale insects, aphids, and floral nectaries on R. montana and two treehopper species on S. lycocarpum. Ants have a high diversity on cerrado plants, exploring liquid and prey-based resources that vary in time and space and affect their presence on plants.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/172739 |
| spellingShingle | Jonas Maravalhas Jacques H. C. Delabie Rafael G. Macedo Helena C. Morais Tree-Dwelling Ants: Contrasting Two Brazilian Cerrado Plant Species without Extrafloral Nectaries Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| title | Tree-Dwelling Ants: Contrasting Two Brazilian Cerrado Plant Species without Extrafloral Nectaries |
| title_full | Tree-Dwelling Ants: Contrasting Two Brazilian Cerrado Plant Species without Extrafloral Nectaries |
| title_fullStr | Tree-Dwelling Ants: Contrasting Two Brazilian Cerrado Plant Species without Extrafloral Nectaries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tree-Dwelling Ants: Contrasting Two Brazilian Cerrado Plant Species without Extrafloral Nectaries |
| title_short | Tree-Dwelling Ants: Contrasting Two Brazilian Cerrado Plant Species without Extrafloral Nectaries |
| title_sort | tree dwelling ants contrasting two brazilian cerrado plant species without extrafloral nectaries |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/172739 |
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